No expenses spared - or explained

Jacqueline Maley

OPPOSITION Leader Tony Abbott, Attorney-General Nicola Roxon and former prime ministers Bob Hawke and Paul Keating are among those who have claimed parliamentary expenses but not verified them, according to a list published by the Department of Finance.

Serving and former parliamentarians are entitled to hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowances a year for domestic and overseas travel, office fit-outs and family travel expenses.

Mr Abbott was paid about $590,000 in entitlements for the first half of 2011, according to the report, and Ms Roxon claimed about $190,500 for the same period.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

But for the first time, the Finance Department has also published a ''name and shame'' list of the politicians who have failed to examine the bill they ran up and check it off against their own accounts.

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Every parliamentarian is provided with a six-monthly account, called a ''management report'', of what he or she has spent, and asked to certify that the expenses were paid for proper reasons.

But politicians including Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen have not yet tallied their accounts for the public record, the report shows.

Signing off on the accounts is not compulsory but in a 2009 Senate Estimates hearing, Labor senator John Faulkner advocated the ''naming and shaming'' list as an important transparency measure.

''I certainly would not want to be a parliamentarian so named and that of itself, I think, would be a significant sanction,'' he said. ''What people want to see is the management reports certified and provided to the department.''

A 2009-2010 Auditor-General's report pointed out weaknesses in the self-certification system, including the fact that compliance by parliamentarians was voluntary.

Queensland Labor senator Claire Moore raised the issue in Senate Estimates and both she and Senator Faulkner advocated greater accountability.

She said each parliamentary office was like a small business with allocations for expenses, for which the member or senator was accountable, as a small business person would be.

''Sometimes there are mistakes and it's part of your personal accountability as a parliamentarian to check the accounts,'' she said. ''There is public scrutiny and you have a special relationship with the community because you are spending taxpayers' money.''

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said his office had raised queries with the Department of Finance over his report and so had not certified it yet.

''Our office rigorously checks all expenditure to ensure that it is within entitlement," the spokesman said.

Ms Roxon said: ''I have very efficient staff - clearly this has been an unusual oversight in a time of portfolio change in our office.''

Ms Bishop's office said: ''To the best of her knowledge she has certified and she will contact the Finance Department to see what the problem is.''

A spokesman for Mr Bowen said the minister had personally certified his expenditure every month for that period. The office of Senator Eric Abetz, who also was mentioned, said the senator would ''ensure it is resolved as soon as possible".

78 comments

These people are supposed to be leaders and set an example (I know, it's hard not to laugh) for the right behaviour. If we mere mortals rorted or failed to justify our expenses, we'd be disciplined or fired.

But the pollies will get a slap on the wrist if anything and be free to continue on their merry way. Let's make an example of them and kick them out of parliament regadless of party.

Commenter

Mawashi

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 7:55AM

it is always wise to read the whole article before commenting mawashi,if you had you would have been aware that it was a thinly vieled and unsustantiated attack on abbott that should have been spiked by the editor

Commenter

boof

Location

east melbourne

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 8:39AM

But Mawashi, they are setting an example and what's even funnier? They get a pay rise because they are underpaid! How do you know a politician is lying? They open their mouth.................

Commenter

shemp

Location

melb

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 9:05AM

@Boof, I did! Abbott's been quite effective as an opposition leader against one of the most dishonest governments in Australian history, but there's something about him I, as someone who hasn't found a party worth supporting, just can't trust. Besides, he's got staff who he can get to organise these expenses, so why the delay?

@Shemp, amen brother!

Commenter

Mawashi

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 9:24AM

Did you even read the whole article mate? It actually says the reason Abbott hasn't signed off yet is because his office is actually checking it thoroughly!Sounds like that's what you expect yet you are attacking him for it. Hopeless.

Commenter

Ben

Location

Melbourne

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 12:14PM

what's he checking for? spelling erros?

Commenter

cu.den

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 12:29PM

$590000 for the first half of 2011, no wonder Abbott can appear at every beach party in Australia. And to think politicians have been given a significant payrise as well. I wonder what Abbott actually buys with his slary, my bet not much.l

Commenter

its tough

Location

melbourne

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 7:57AM

I don't understand why it is not compulsory, I cannot buy a wireless mouse without Director approval.

Commenter

Dino

Date and time

January 17, 2012, 10:36AM

I have always been puzzled who pays for the leader of the opposition to zoom around the country donning hard hats and fluorescent jackets or getting photo ops with soldiers in Afghanistan.

Naively I would have thought this to be a personal matter or a party election expense - it would seem that this is in fact paid for by the tax payer ($590,000 for the 1st half of 2011). As a tax payer I see no reason for the leader of the opposition to receive millions of dollars in expenses - the position is NOT recognised in the constitution.

Maybe I am wrong and the $590,000 is legitimate expenses for Mr Abbott to look after his constituents.